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Tropical Cyclone Boloetse
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Boloetse |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Boloetse was winding down on February 5, 2006, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image at 10:45 UTC (1:45 p.m. local time). At this time, Boloetse was heading into the southern Indian Ocean after brushing against the southern end of Madagascar. The cyclone had sustained winds of around 120 kilometers per hour (75 miles per hour), classifying it as a Category 1 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale. This was less intense than the previous day [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13350 ], and forecasters were predicting the storm would continue to diminish in strength as it traveled southeast away from the African coast. Tropical Cyclone Boloetse initially formed in the western Indian Ocean and traveled west, crossing the island of Madagascar as a tropical storm in late January 2006, with moderately strong rains. The storm intensity declined to tropical-depression strength as it crossed the mountainous ridgeline that runs along the eastern shore of Madagascar. However, once the storm system reached the warm waters of the Mozambique Channel, the tropical depression re-organized and built up enough strength to become a tropical cyclone. Once there, the storm reversed direction and headed southeast, taking it across Madagascar once again. It struck a glancing blow over the island's southern tip on February 4, 2006. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Tropical Cyclone Boloetse
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Boloetse |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Boloetse crossed the island of Madagascar as a tropical storm in late January 2006, with moderately strong rains. The storm intensity declined to tropical-depression strength as it crossed the mountainous ridgeline that runs along the eastern shore of Madagascar. However, once the storm system reached the warm waters of the Mozambique Channel, the tropical depression reorganized and built up enough strength to become a tropical cyclone. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite observed Tropical Cyclone Boloetse in the Mozambique Channel on February 3, 2006, at 11:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. local time). At that time, the cyclone was beginning a south and eastward track, and it was predicted to strike a glancing blow along the southwestern corner of Madagascar as it moved back out into the Indian Ocean. The cyclone had sustained winds of around 165 kilometers per hour (105 miles per hour), classifying it as a Category 2 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Storms of this strength typically cause moderate damage to coastal areas with storm surges around 1.5 to 2 meters (4 to 7 feet). Winds are sufficient to damage temporary structures such as trailers and sheds, and remove roofs from some permanent buildings. The large version of the image has a spatial resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Other resolutions are also available from the MODIS Rapid Response website. NASA image created by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Tropical Cyclone Boloetse
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Boloetse |
| Description |
Cyclone Boloetse was striking Madagascar for the second time when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite acquired this photo-like image on February 4, 2006, at 07:20 UTC (10:20 a.m. local time). At this time, the cyclone had sustained winds of around 165 kilometers per hour (105 miles per hour), classifying it as a Category 2 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Tropical Cyclone Boloetse first crossed the island of Madagascar as a tropical storm in late January 2006, with moderately strong rains. The storm intensity declined to tropical-depression strength as it crossed the mountainous ridgeline that runs along the eastern shore of Madagascar. When the storm system reached the warm waters of the Mozambique Channel, the tropical depression re-organized and built up enough strength to become a tropical cyclone. Next, the storm reversed direction and headed southeast, taking it across Madagascar once again. It gave a glancing blow over the island's southern tip on February 4, 2006. The large version of the image has a spatial resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Other resolutions are also available from the MODIS Rapid Response website. NASA image created by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Tropical Cyclone Bondo
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Bondo |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Bondo spent the days before Christmas in the Seychelles north of Madagascar, whipping those islands with powerful Category 2-strength [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshs.shtml ] winds. The storm then turned south and grazed along the northwestern coast Madagascar on December 24, while building strength to Category 4, according to the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System. [ http://www.gdacs.org/ ] The cyclone then came ashore at the north end of Madagascar on December 25, where more than 4.5 million people lived within 200 kilometers of the storm. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on December 25, 2006, at 9:55 a.m. local time (6:55 UTC), while the storm's center was coming ashore. Bondo had well-defined spiral arms of rain clouds and thunderstorms at the time of this image, and a distinct, cloud-filled (or "closed") eye at its center. It was not as strong a storm as it had been the previous day, however, as coming ashore robbed it of the source of its power—the warm waters of the Mozambique Channel between Madagascar and mainland Africa. According to the University of Hawaii's Tropical Storm Information Center, [ http://www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/ ] peak winds had fallen to around 110 kilometers per hour (70 miles per hour), still quite potentially destructive. NASA image by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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Tropical Cyclone Bondo
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Bondo |
| Description |
The Seychelles are a chain of islands stretching out north of Madagascar off the eastern coast of Africa. On December 20, 2006, these islands were on alert for the very intense tropical cyclone Bondo, which was predicted to strike the islands in the early hours of the next day. Cyclone Bondo was a Category 4 [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshs.shtml ] storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with sustained winds as high as 222 kilometers per hour (138 miles per hour), according to the Reuters news service. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on December 20, 2006, at 9:35 a.m. local time (6:35 UTC), while the storm's center was drawing in towards the Seychelles. The island of Madagascar appears to the southwest of the storm (lower-left corner), where the outer rain bands from the storm were coming ashore. Bondo had well-defined, spiral arms of rainclouds and thunderstorms at the time of this image, and a strong and distinct, cloud-filled (or "closed") eye at its center. The high-resolution image provided above is at MODIS' full spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2006354-1220/Bondo.A2006354.0635 ] You can also download a 250-meter-resolution Cyclone Bondo KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Dec2006/Bondo.A2006354.0635.250m.kmz ] for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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Tropical Cyclone Bondo
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Bondo |
| Description |
The Seychelles are a chain of islands stretching out north of Madagascar off the eastern coast of Africa. On December 20, 2006, these islands were on alert for the very intense tropical cyclone Bondo, which was predicted to strike the islands in the early hours of the next day. Cyclone Bondo was a Category 4 [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshs.shtml ] storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with sustained winds as high as 222 kilometers per hour (138 miles per hour), according to the Reuters news service. This data visualization shows Cyclone Bondo while it was two days away from the Seychelles. The image depicts wind speed in color and wind direction with small barbs. White barbs point to areas of heavy rain. The data were obtained by NASA's QuikSCAT [ http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/quikscat/index.cfm ] satellite on December 19, 2006, at 5:03 p.m. local time (14:03 UTC). Bondo appears as a well-formed symmetrical spiral of winds centered around a strong, relatively calm eye. This pattern is typical of tropical cyclones. Since Bondo is in the Southern Hemisphere, the Coriolis force (see glossary [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/glossary.php3?mode=alpha&seg=b&segend=d ]for a definition), which gives all cyclones their spin, turns the storm in the opposite direction to hurricanes and typhoons that form in the Northern Hemisphere: clockwise rather than counterclockwise. Ground- or aircraft-based measurements of the wind strength of Tropical Cyclone Bondo would likely show sustained winds significantly higher than those indicated by QuikSCAT. QuikSCAT employs a scatterometer, which sends pulses of microwave energy through the atmosphere to the ocean surface, and measures the energy that bounces back from the wind-roughened surface. The energy of the microwave pulses changes depending on wind speed and direction. Tropical cyclones, however, are difficult to measure. To relate the radar "return signal" to actual wind speed, scientists compare measurements taken from buoys and other ground stations to data the satellite acquired at the same time and place. Because the high wind speeds generated by cyclones are rare, scientists do not have corresponding ground information to know how to translate data from the satellite for wind speeds above 50 knots (about 93 km/hr, or 58 mph). Also, the unusually heavy rain found in a cyclone distorts the microwave pulses in a number of ways, making a conversion to exact wind speed difficult. Instead, the scatterometer provides a nice picture of the relative wind speeds within the storm and shows wind direction. NASA image courtesy of David Long, Brigham Young University, on the QuikSCAT Science Team, [ http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. |
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Tropical Cyclone Carina
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Tropical Cyclone Carina |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Carina appears as a tightly wound spiral in the Indian Ocean in this satellite view of the storm, obtained by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite on February 27, 2006. Carina had become an organized storm system four days earlier, and built rapidly into a powerful cyclone. By the time MODIS obtained this observation of Carina, peak winds were blowing at 175 kilometers per hour (110 miles per hour). However, the tropical cyclone was moving into the southern Indian Ocean well away from the nearest land, even the very remote Cocos Islands several hundred kilometers east. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Tropical Cyclone Clare
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Clare |
| Description |
Residents of Western Australia's Pilbara Coast are accustomed to tropical storms, the Pilbara Coast sees more cyclones than any other part of the Australian coastline. Still, Tropical Cyclone Clare strained some nerves in early January 2006. Although the storm was downgraded from a Category 3 to a Category 2, it prompted hundreds of residents to evacuate the area, and downed some power and telephone lines. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite took this image of Clare at 10:30 a.m. local time on January 10, 2006. Hurricanes in the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific Ocean are termed cyclones, and their wind direction depends on whether they are north or south of the equator. In the Southern Hemisphere, cyclone winds blow in a clockwise direction. In this image, Clare stretches hundreds of kilometers across as it moves along the Pilbara Coast. At the time this image was taken, Clare was a well-developed storm system with peak sustained winds of around 100 kilometers (60 miles) per hour. The cyclone's center was about 300 kilometers from Port Hedland, the nearest major city. According to a report from ABC.net.au, the storm had winds as high as 200 kilometers per hour when it struck Dampier, a coastal town approximately 200 kilometers southwest of Port Hedland. The storm also dropped 20 centimeters (almost 8 inches) of rain on Dampier, and forecasters expected more rain for the area. Clare was expected to remain a Category 2 storm as it moved inland. As of the morning of January 10, 2006, however, only minor damage was reported. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Tropical Cyclone Clare
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Clare |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Clare is a moderately strong storm system in the Indian Ocean off the Australian coast. When the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite observed the cyclone at 06:05 UTC (2:05 p.m. local time) on January 9, 2006, it was a well-developed system with peak sustained winds of around 100 kilometers per hour (60 miles per hour). The cyclone (the local term for a hurricane or typhoon) was about 200 kilometers offshore from Port Hedland in Western Australia, the nearest major city. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Tropical Cyclone Daryl
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Daryl |
| Description |
This pair of images shows the birth of Cyclone Daryl off the northwest coast of Western Australia on January 19, 2006. In the fifteen hours that elapsed between the time the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ]) satellite captured the top image at 10:08 a.m. Australian Western Standard Time and when it captured the bottom image at 1:00 a.m., Daryl went from a weak, newly named storm to a mature storm roughly equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The storm's center remained just offshore as it moved southwest along the coast, sparing coastal communities a direct hit. Both images show rain rates in the storm. In the top image, TRMM reveals that despite having a sizeable band of intense rain (dark red segment) centered in a broad area of light (blue areas) to occasionally moderate (green areas) rain, Daryl showed very little evidence of circulation. This lack of circulation indicated that Daryl was in the early stages of development. At the time of this image, Daryl was rated as a Category 1 cyclone by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's Tropical Cyclone Warning Center, indicating peak wind gusts of less than 125 kilometers per hour (78 miles per hour)—equivalent to a tropical storm. The lower image was taken just 15 hours later at 17:00 UTC (1:00 a.m. Australian WST on January 20) and shows a very different-looking storm. Although Daryl did not have a well-defined closed eye, the heavy rain had separated into arcing bands (green and darker red arcs), indicating that Daryl had a more mature circulation than it did earlier. Daryl became a Category 3 cyclone the following day. Catching Tropical Cyclone Daryl in the act of building may provide new and critical data for understanding the complexities of storm intensification. Becuase storms tend to form and intensify well away from land, scientists are still trying to understand how cyclones intensify. Armed with both passive and active sensors, including the first and only precipitation radar in space, TRMM has proven itself to be a valuable tool for examining tropical cyclones. These images show rain rates as measured by a number of different sensors on the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar, while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager. The rain rates are overlaid on infrared data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner. Launched in November 1997 to measure rainfall over the global tropics, TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency, JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI, NASA/GSFC) and captioned by Steve Lang (SSAI, NASA/GSFC). |
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Tropical Cyclone Daryl
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Daryl |
| Description |
This pair of images shows the birth of Cyclone Daryl off the northwest coast of Western Australia on January 19, 2006. In the fifteen hours that elapsed between the time the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ]) satellite captured the top image at 10:08 a.m. Australian Western Standard Time and when it captured the bottom image at 1:00 a.m., Daryl went from a weak, newly named storm to a mature storm roughly equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The storm's center remained just offshore as it moved southwest along the coast, sparing coastal communities a direct hit. Both images show rain rates in the storm. In the top image, TRMM reveals that despite having a sizeable band of intense rain (dark red segment) centered in a broad area of light (blue areas) to occasionally moderate (green areas) rain, Daryl showed very little evidence of circulation. This lack of circulation indicated that Daryl was in the early stages of development. At the time of this image, Daryl was rated as a Category 1 cyclone by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's Tropical Cyclone Warning Center, indicating peak wind gusts of less than 125 kilometers per hour (78 miles per hour)—equivalent to a tropical storm. The lower image was taken just 15 hours later at 17:00 UTC (1:00 a.m. Australian WST on January 20) and shows a very different-looking storm. Although Daryl did not have a well-defined closed eye, the heavy rain had separated into arcing bands (green and darker red arcs), indicating that Daryl had a more mature circulation than it did earlier. Daryl became a Category 3 cyclone the following day. Catching Tropical Cyclone Daryl in the act of building may provide new and critical data for understanding the complexities of storm intensification. Becuase storms tend to form and intensify well away from land, scientists are still trying to understand how cyclones intensify. Armed with both passive and active sensors, including the first and only precipitation radar in space, TRMM has proven itself to be a valuable tool for examining tropical cyclones. These images show rain rates as measured by a number of different sensors on the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar, while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager. The rain rates are overlaid on infrared data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner. Launched in November 1997 to measure rainfall over the global tropics, TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency, JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI, NASA/GSFC) and captioned by Steve Lang (SSAI, NASA/GSFC). |
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Tropical Cyclone Daryl
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Daryl |
| Description |
This pair of images shows the birth of Cyclone Daryl off the northwest coast of Western Australia on January 19, 2006. In the fifteen hours that elapsed between the time the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ]) satellite captured the top image at 10:08 a.m. Australian Western Standard Time and when it captured the bottom image at 1:00 a.m., Daryl went from a weak, newly named storm to a mature storm roughly equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The storm's center remained just offshore as it moved southwest along the coast, sparing coastal communities a direct hit. Both images show rain rates in the storm. In the top image, TRMM reveals that despite having a sizeable band of intense rain (dark red segment) centered in a broad area of light (blue areas) to occasionally moderate (green areas) rain, Daryl showed very little evidence of circulation. This lack of circulation indicated that Daryl was in the early stages of development. At the time of this image, Daryl was rated as a Category 1 cyclone by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's Tropical Cyclone Warning Center, indicating peak wind gusts of less than 125 kilometers per hour (78 miles per hour)—equivalent to a tropical storm. The lower image was taken just 15 hours later at 17:00 UTC (1:00 a.m. Australian WST on January 20) and shows a very different-looking storm. Although Daryl did not have a well-defined closed eye, the heavy rain had separated into arcing bands (green and darker red arcs), indicating that Daryl had a more mature circulation than it did earlier. Daryl became a Category 3 cyclone the following day. Catching Tropical Cyclone Daryl in the act of building may provide new and critical data for understanding the complexities of storm intensification. Becuase storms tend to form and intensify well away from land, scientists are still trying to understand how cyclones intensify. Armed with both passive and active sensors, including the first and only precipitation radar in space, TRMM has proven itself to be a valuable tool for examining tropical cyclones. These images show rain rates as measured by a number of different sensors on the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar, while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager. The rain rates are overlaid on infrared data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner. Launched in November 1997 to measure rainfall over the global tropics, TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency, JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI, NASA/GSFC) and captioned by Steve Lang (SSAI, NASA/GSFC). |
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Tropical Cyclone Emma
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Emma |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Emma formed as a low-intensity storm system and built to cyclone strength only briefly. But Emma's brief cyclone status belied its size and rainfall. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) instrument on the Aqua observed the storm system as it was losing strength, and hence its tropical cyclone status, on February 28, 2006, at 5:55 UTC (1:55 p.m. local time). At this time, the cyclone had peak winds of roughly 55 kilometers per hour (35 miles per hour). As the image shows, the storm system covered an enormous area, extending over almost the entire extent of Western Australia. With it came heavy rain and substantial flooding to the Pilbara Region, the northwestern corner of Western Australia, where the storm system came ashore. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. |
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Tropical Cyclone Floyd
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Floyd |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Floyd formed northwest of Australia in the Timor Sea on March 21, 2006. The cyclone gained power gradually and was heading west into the Indian Ocean. It was not predicted to travel over any large landmasses, though it may pose a threat to Christmas Island well off the Western Australia coast in the Indian Ocean. When the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite observed the storm at 11:55 a.m. Australian Western Daylight Saving time (02:35 UTC) on March 22, 2006, Tropical Cyclone Floyd was continuing to slowly build power and size. When MODIS made this observation, the storm had peak winds of around 120 kilometers per hour (75 miles per hour), and forecasts at the time called for it to continue to gather strength for at least several days, with predicted peak winds of 170 kilometers per hour (105 mph), according to the University of Hawaii's Tropical Storm Information Center. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Tropical Cyclone Glenda
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Glenda |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Glenda formed off the northwestern coast of Australia on March 27, 2006. The storm quickly built into a powerful and well-defined cyclone during the next day. Powerful winds have whipped up surf along the coastline of Western Australia's Pilbara region, and the storm also brought heavy rain to the islands off the Kimberly coast. As of March 28, 2006, the storm had reached Category 4 status and was expected to build power and reach the maximum, Category 5, rating during the next day. This natural-color image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite on March 28, 2006, at 10:00 a.m. local time (02:00 UTC). It shows Cyclone Glenda as a well-developed storm, sitting 180 kilometers (150 miles) north of Broome. The storm was already large enough that Broome was covered by the edge of the cyclone. Sustained, peak winds in the storm system were roughly 165 kilometers per hour (105 miles per hour) at this time. The cyclone had been traveling roughly parallel to the coastline, putting the entire coastal area on alert. The area includes not only major pearl-diving operations and beaches that attract tourists, but it is also home to the Northwest Shelf, one of Australia's major oil fields. The oil fields are located off the coast near Dampier. According to news reports, operators were not expressing concern about the oil field but were planning for necessary shutdowns for safety. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Tropical Cyclone Glenda
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Glenda |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Glenda formed off the northwestern coast of Australia on March 27, 2006. The storm quickly built into a powerful and well-defined cyclone during the next day. Powerful winds have whipped up surf along the coastline of Western Australia's Pilbara, and the storm brought heavy rain to the islands off the Kimberly coast. As of March 29, 2006, the storm had reached Category 5 status, the maximum rating possible for a cyclone. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite on March 29, 2006, at 10:40 a.m. local time (02:40 UTC). It shows Cyclone Glenda as a well-developed storm, sitting 525 kilometers (330 miles) west of Broome. Clouds from the storm covered most of the northwest coastline of Western Australia. Sustained, peak winds in the storm system were roughly 220 kilometers per hour (140 miles per hour) at this time. The storm's spiraling clouds appear as a nearly solid white disk, but in several places, it appears as though some clouds are "boiling" up above the rest. Predictions as of 2:55 a.m. Australian Western Standard Time on March 30 were that the storm would cross the coast between Exmouth and Karatha on Thursday afternoon or night as a very dangerous storm. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology predicted that wind speeds near the storm center could reach 265 kilometers per hour (165 miles per hour) as the storm comes ashore. Many coastal communities were being evacuated by State Emergency Services ahead of the storm. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided by Liam Gumley, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Geoscience Australia. |
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Tropical Cyclone Glenda
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Glenda |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Glenda formed off the northwestern coast of Australia on March 27, 2006. Powerful winds whipped up surf along the coastline of Western Australia's Pilbara region, and the storm brought heavy rains to the islands off the Kimberly coast. On March 29, it was classified as a Category 5 storm, the highest rating on the cyclone-strength scale. However, as it came ashore a day later, it had lost a small fraction of its strength. By March 31, 2006, the storm had lost considerable power and was ranked as a mere tropical depression. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite on March 31, 2006, at 10:30 a.m. local time (02:30 UTC), roughly 40 hours after coming ashore near Onslow. The remnants of Cyclone Glenda still have a vaguely spiral appearance, but they lack the well-developed eye and tight-wound shape of the mature, powerful storm of previous days. Clouds from the storm cover most of the Indian Ocean coast of Western Australia. Sustained, peak winds in the storm system were considerably diminished, roughly 65 kilometers per hour (40 miles per hour) around the time the image was captured. Damage assessments in Onslow showed the town fared better than expected in the face of such a powerful storm. However, it will be many days before clean-up operations are concluded. Meteorologists were also concerned about the widespread flooding potential as the storm continued to travel inland. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Tropical Cyclone Glenda
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Glenda |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Glenda formed off the northwestern coast of Australia on March 27, 2006. The storm quickly built into a powerful and well-defined cyclone during the next day. Powerful winds have whipped up surf along the coastline of Western Australia's Pilbara region, and the storm has brought heavy rains to the islands off the Kimberly coast. As of March 30, 2006, the storm had lost some power and was ranked as a powerful Category 4 storm, after having peaked the previous day. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on March 30, 2006, at 2:10 p.m. local time (06:10 UTC). It shows Cyclone Glenda as a well-developed storm, sitting just off the coastline about 300 kilometers (185 miles) from Port Hedland. Clouds from the storm covered most of the northwest coastline of Western Australia. Sustained, peak winds in the storm system were roughly 195 kilometers per hour (120 miles per hour) at this time. The storm's spiraling clouds appear as a nearly solid white disk, and the faint bluish eye is poised just off the coastline. Observations as of 8:00 p.m. Australian Western Standard Time on March 30 were that the storm was crossing the coast near Onslow. The town was bearing the brunt of the worst winds near the cyclone's center. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology predicted that wind speeds could gust as high as 235 kilometers per hour (140 miles per hour) as the storm continued to come ashore. Residents in coastal communities who were not yet evacuated were directed to stay put, as the severe winds would make attempting to move extremely dangerous. Australian news services are comparing Glenda to the famous and destructive cyclones Larry and Tracy. Larry struck the Queensland coast just two weeks before Glenda, while Tracy remains imprinted on Australia's memory as the storm that flattened Darwin on Christmas Eve 1974. Glenda is large and more powerful than either of these storms, but striking in a much more sparsely populated area. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Tropical Cyclone Gonu
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Gonu |
| Description |
At one time, Cyclone Gonu was a powerful Category 5 storm packing sustained winds of 255 kilometers per hour (160 miles per hour), according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, [ https://metocph.nmci.navy.mil/jtwc.php ] and on a course towards Oman. This made it the most powerful cyclone ever to threaten the Arabian Peninsula since record keeping began back in 1945. Tropical cyclones do on occasion form in the Arabian Sea, but they rarely exceed tropical storm intensity. In 2006, Tropical Storm Mukda was the only system to form in the region, and it remained well out to sea before dissipating. Gonu became a tropical storm in the morning (local time) of June 2, 2007, in the east-central Arabian Sea. After some initial fluctuations in direction, the storm settled on a northwesterly track and began to intensify. Gonu went from tropical storm intensity to a Category 2 Tropical Cyclone [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshs.shtml ] on the night of June 3. Overnight, it developed into a Category 4 storm with winds estimated at 210 km/hr (132 mph). The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ], captured this image of Gonu as the storm was moving northwest over the central Arabian Sea. The image was taken at 6:23 a.m. local time (03:23 UTC) on June 4, 2007, when Gonu was a Category 4 storm. It shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity looking down on the storm. The distribution of rain within the storm reveals the storm's structure, and in this case, Gonu displays all of the tell-tale signs of a potent storm. Not only did Gonu have a complete, well-formed, symmetrical eye surrounded by an intense eyewall (innermost red ring), this inner eyewall was surrounded by a concentric outer eyewall (outermost red and green ring). This double eyewall structure only occurs in very intense storms. Eventually the outer eyewall will contract and replace the inner eyewall, a process known as eyewall replacement. The image was made with data from several sensors on the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center of the swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar, while those in the outer portion are from the TRMM Microwave Imager. The rain rates are overlaid on infrared data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner. Several hours after this image was taken, Gonu reached Category 5 intensity, the very peak of possible storm strengths. The system remained in this high state through the day, then began weakening during the night of June 4 as it continued to approach the coast of Oman. The center remained just offshore of the northeast coast of Oman as a Category 1 storm before turning northward towards Iran, where it was expected to make landfall as a tropical storm, according to forecasts made on June 6, 2007. The TRMM satellite was placed into service in November 1997. From its low-earth orbit, TRMM provides valuable images and information on storm systems around the tropics using a combination of passive microwave and active radar sensors, including the first precipitation radar in space. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency, JAXA. NASA image produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
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Tropical Cyclone Hubert
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Hubert |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Hubert formed off the northwestern coast of Australia on April 5, 2006. Cyclones form in this area from December through April each year. In April, the start of the Asian Monsoon season gradually shifts storm activity northward to bring the cyclone season to a close. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology had been predicting an average season for cyclones in 2006, with about five named storms of which two might come ashore. With the formation of Hubert, the season became slightly more active than predicted. Unlike Cyclone Glenda, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13457 ] which preceded it by a few days, however, Hubert was not a powerful system and was not predicted to develop much before coming ashore. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on April 7, 2006, at 10:05 p.m. local time (02:05 UTC). Cyclone Hubert at this time had a basic spiral form, but lacked the well-developed eye and tight-wound shape of a powerful storm, though it has become somewhat more compact and defined than the previous day. Sustained, peak winds in the storm system were roughly 100 kilometers per hour (65 miles per hour) around the time the image was captured. Hubert had remained at this strength for the previous 36 hours, as if the storm was not developing further, despite the changes in the cloud structure and storm-core shape. Hubert was approaching the same areas of Western Australia affected by Cyclone Glenda a week earlier. At 8 p.m. local time on April 7, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation [ http://www.abc.net.au/news/ ] was reporting that the town of Onslow was close to running out of gas to supply the local power plant. Onslow bore the brunt of Cyclone Glenda the week before, and the gas plant providing the town with electricity was still surrounded by meter-deep flood water from Glenda's visit. Hubert's arrival was further hindering efforts to restore and repair services in the town and surrounding communities. The high-resolution image provided above is provided at the full MODIS spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System also provides this image at additional resolutions. [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2006097-0407/Hubert.A2006097.0240 ] NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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Tropical Cyclone Hubert
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Hubert |
| Description |
The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) flew directly over Tropical Cyclone Hubert as the storm was building off Australia's northwestern coast on April 6, 2006. Hubert is one of the seasonal storms that form between December and April in the region between Australia's northwestern coast and the western islands of the Indonesian chain. In a typical year, the cyclone season winds down in April when the Asian Monsoon developing in the north shifts storm formation away from the Australian coastline. The 2006 Australian cyclone season has seen just slightly more than the typical number of storms, including the unusually powerful Cyclone Glenda, which swept over northwestern Australia in late March. The TRMM satellite brought its full suite of instruments to bear on Tropical Cyclone Hubert. The outer regions of the storm were observed by the Visible and Infrared Scanner instrument, showing the extent and structure of clouds in the building storm. Superimposed on top of the clouds (wide outer swath) is the rain intensity, as detected by passive microwave energy using the TRMM Microwave Radiometer. The innermost swath shows the rain intensity as measured by the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR). Reds indicated the heaviest rain regions, with the PR instrument able to peer into the clouds to discern the structure and intensity of the storm. The spiral structure of the rain bands, with the most intense rainfall in the storm center, is not at all obvious to other instruments, where the absence of a clear eye structure disguises the underlying storm form. TRMM's unique abilities provide insight into pressing questions in meteorological research, particularly in critical areas such as how storm systems form and intensify. TRMM observed Hubert at 10:47 a.m. local time (02:47 UTC) on April 6, 2006. At the time of this observation, Hubert was strong enough to be classified as a cyclone, but not particularly intense. Cyclone Hubert had a basic spiral form, but lacked the well-developed eye and tight-wound shape of a powerful storm. The PR observations show that the spiral structure and eye formation existed within the storm even though it was not evident in the cloud tops. Sustained, peak winds in the storm system were roughly 100 kilometers per hour (65 miles per hour) around the time the image was captured. The Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission is shared between NASA and the Japanese space agency, JAXA. More detailed images of hurricane rain structure can be found on the TRMM website. [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] NASA image courtesy of Hal Pierce, SSAI/Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Tropical Cyclone Hubert
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Hubert |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Hubert formed off the northwestern coast of Australia on April 5, 2006. Cyclones form in this area from December through April each year. In April, the start of the Asian Monsoon season gradually shifts storm activity northward to bring the cyclone season to a close. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology had been predicting an average season for cyclones in 2006, with about five named storms of which two might come ashore. With the formation of Hubert, the season became slightly more active than predicted. Unlike Cyclone Glenda, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13457 ] which preceded it by a few days, however, Hubert was not a powerful system and was not predicted to develop much before coming ashore. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on April 6, 2006, at 2:15 p.m. local time (06:15 UTC). Cyclone Hubert at this time had a basic spiral form, but lacked the well-developed eye and tight-wound shape of a powerful storm. Sustained, peak winds in the storm system were roughly 100 kilometers per hour (65 miles per hour) around the time the image was captured. The high-resolution image provided above is provided at the full MODIS spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System also provides this image at additional resolutions. [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery?2006096-0406/Hubert.A2006096.0615 ] NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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Tropical Cyclone Kate
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Kate |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Kate swirls in the Torres Strait between Australia's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea in this satellite view of the storm, obtained by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite on February 23, 2006. Kate was the second tropical cyclone in 2006 to form off the coast of Queensland. It was not a particularly powerful system when MODIS obtained this view, with peak winds around 80 kilometers per hour (50 miles per hour). However, because it was located so far offshore, there was little observed data from ground stations and radar instruments, which was making predictions of the storm's path and future intensity a challenge, according to the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Tropical Cyclone Larry
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Larry |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Larry formed off the northeastern coast of Australia on March 18, 2006, but built strength rapidly. When the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite observed the storm at 11:55 a.m. Eastern Australian Daylight Time (00:55 UTC) on March 19, 2006, only a day later, Larry had already reached considerable size and power, with peak sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour (75 miles per hour). Within the next eighteen hours, according to the Tropical Storm information service at the University of Hawaii, sustained winds reached 185 km/hr (115 mph), just before the storm came ashore. It lost power over land. This image shows Cyclone Larry as it was bearing down on the coast of Queensland over the Great Barrier Reef. During the next day, Larry caused considerable damage to coastal towns and property, flattening sugar cane fields. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, as much as 90 percent of the Australian banana crop may have been lost in this single storm. Since many trees have been destroyed, it may be many years before the banana industry recovers. The high-resolution image provided above is provided at the full MODIS spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System also provides this image at additional resolutions. NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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Tropical Cyclone Larry
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Larry |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Larry formed off the northeastern coast of Australia on March 18, 2006. The cyclone gained power rapidly and came ashore on Queensland's eastern coastline, where it hammered beaches with heavy surf, tore roofs off buildings, and perhaps most destructively, flattened trees in banana plantations over a wide area. The Melbourne Age reported estimates that as much as 80 percent of the Australian banana crop has been destroyed. Since many trees have been uprooted, it may be many years before the banana industry recovers. When the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite observed the storm at 3:05 p.m. Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time (04:05 UTC) on March 21, 2006, Larry had been downgraded to a tropical depression several hours before, and wind speeds had dropped to below 60 kilometers per hour (40 miles per hour). But while Larry's winds had dropped down to much less destructive levels, the storm system was still bringing significant rainfall in the upper reaches of the Darling River basin, and it retained the classical spiral form of a tropical storm even as it continued to become less organized. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Tropical Cyclone Monica
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Monica |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Monica formed off the northeastern coast of Australia on April 17, 2006. This is the same general area where Cyclone Larry [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13431 ] formed a month earlier. Larry caused devastation to Queenland's coastal communities and destroyed a large fraction of the banana trees in the region. Cyclone Monica was not predicted to be anywhere near as destructive as Larry, and according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology [ http://www.bom.gov.au/ ], Monica was expected to cross Cape York in northern Queensland well away from most settled areas, limiting the damage it was predicted to cause. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on April 18, 2006, at 10:35 a.m. local time (00:35 UTC). Cyclone Monica at this time had a basic spiral form, but lacked the well-developed eye and tight-wound shape of a powerful storm. Sustained, peak winds in the storm system were roughly 100 kilometers per hour (65 miles per hour) around the time the image was captured. NASA image by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. [ http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] |
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Tropical Cyclone Monica
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Monica |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Monica formed off the northeastern coast of Australia on April 17, 2006. This is the same general area where Cyclone Larry [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13431 ] formed a month earlier. Larry caused devastation to Queenland's coastal communities and destroyed a large fraction of the banana trees in the region. Cyclone Monica was not predicted to be anywhere near as destructive as Larry, and Monica's path across Cape York Peninsula in northern Queensland would take it well away from most settled areas. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on April 19, 2006, at 2:10 p.m. local time (04:10 UTC). Cyclone Monica at this time had a large spiral form, and its well-developed eye was just about to make landfall as the Aqua satellite flew overhead. Sustained peak winds in the storm system were roughly 140 kilometers per hour (85 miles per hour) around the time the image was captured. The high-resolution image provided above is provided at the full MODIS spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery//?2006109-0419/Monica.A2006109.0410 ] NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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Tropical Cyclone Monica
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Monica |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Monica formed off the northeastern coast of Australia on April 17, 2006. This is the same general area where Cyclone Larry [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13431 ] formed a month earlier. Larry caused devastation to Queenland's coastal communities and destroyed a large fraction of the banana trees in the region. Cyclone Monica was nowhere near as destructive as Larry, and Monica's path across Cape York Peninsula in northern Queensland took it well away from most settled areas. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on April 21, 2006, at 11:10 a.m. local time (01:10 UTC). Cyclone Monica at this time was still a powerful storm, even after having lost some strength crossing Cape York on April 19 and 20. The storm was beginning to rebuild over the Gulf of Carpentaria. Sustained peak winds in the storm system were roughly 165 kilometers per hour (105 miles per hour) around the time the image was captured. At that time, Monica was expected to rebuild to a Category-4-strength storm before coming ashore again along the coast of the Northern Territory. Communities in Arnhem Land were bracing for very strong winds and heavy rains. The high-resolution image provided above is provided at the full MODIS spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2006111-0421/Monica.A2006111.0110 ] NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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Tropical Cyclone Monica
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Monica |
| Description |
Cyclone Monica became the strongest storm of the 2006 Australian cyclone season with wind gusts reaching 350 kilometers per hour (215 miles per hour) as reported by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's Cyclone Warning Centre. The Category 5 cyclone hit along the sparsely populated coastline of the Northern Territory, sparing the city of Darwin. Monica originated in the Coral Sea below the southeastern tip of Papua New Guinea, becoming a minimal tropical storm on April 17, 2006. The storm tracked due west towards the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, where it came ashore just south of Lockart River on the afternoon of April 19 as a Category 3 cyclone. Monica weakened as it crossed the peninsula, but when it reached the warm waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria on the other side, it re-organized and re-intensified. The image above shows Cyclone Monica during this re-intensification. The visualization combines data from several different instruments from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite, which observed the storm at 16:08 UTC on April 22, 2006 (1:38 a.m., April 23, Australian CST). With an active radar and a passive microwave sensor, TRMM can peer into the core of these storms and relay important details on storm structure and location to forecasters. In this case, TRMM showed a pattern of very heavy rain (red) forming an intense symmetric eyewall around a small, complete eye with tightly curved rainbands spiraling into the center—the signature of a mature, intense tropical cyclone. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar, and rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager. The rain rates are overlaid on infrared data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner. At the time of this TRMM overpass, Monica's sustained winds were estimated to be 230 kilometers/hour (144 mph) or equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Soon after these images were taken, Monica reached Category 5 status with sustained winds estimated at 285 km/hr (178 mph). The cyclone tracked westward, skirting the northern coastline of Australia before coming ashore west of Maningrida in the Northern Territory just after 8 p.m. local time. The storm quickly lost strength as it moved inland and passed by the main population center of Darwin. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency, JAXA. TRMM made several passes over Monica, during both the early and the mature stages of the storm. Since its launch in 1997, TRMM has provided valuable information on tropical storms. With an active radar and a passive microwave sensor, TRMM can peer into the core of these storms and relay details on storm structure and location to forecasters. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
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Tropical Cyclone Monica
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Monica |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Monica formed off the northeastern coast of Australia on April 17, 2006. This is the same general area where Cyclone Larry [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13431 ] formed a month earlier. On April 19 and 20, Cyclone Monica crossed Cape York Peninsula with weaker winds than Larry, and its path in northern Queensland took it well away from most settled areas. However, Monica's second act proved quite different. The cyclone gathered size and power in the Gulf of Carpentaria and rebuilt into a Category 5 storm. Monica grazed across the top of the Northern Territory, threatening communities throughout Arnhem Land, Kakadu, and the city of Darwin with heavy rains and very high winds. Many Australian news services were comparing Monica to 1974's powerful Cyclone Tracy which flattened Darwin and was the most devastating storm to ever hit Australia. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on April 24, 2006, at 2:00 p.m. local time (04:30 UTC). Cyclone Monica at this time was an impressively large and powerful storm. Sustained peak winds in the storm system were roughly 285 kilometers per hour (180 miles per hour) around the time the image was captured, and gusts reached as high as 350 km/hr (220 mph). This put Monica firmly in the rare and most powerful, Category 5, rating. The eye of the storm appears like a deep whirlpool hovering just off the Australian coastline. Monica was predicted to come ashore again on the Coburg Peninsula and to strike Darwin on April 25. Ordinarily, Australians observe Anzac Day on April 25 (honoring Australians who served in the First World War), but throughout the Northern Territory, all services and events have been cancelled. The high-resolution image provided above is provided at the full MODIS spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2006114-0424/Monica.A2006114.0430 ] NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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Tropical Cyclone Monica
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Monica |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Monica formed off the northeastern coast of Australia on April 17, 2006. This is the same general area where Cyclone Larry [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13431 ] formed a month earlier. Cyclone Monica was not anywhere near as destructive as Larry when it crossed Cape York Peninsula, but when the tropical cyclone reached the warm waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria on the other side, it re-organized and re-intensified. Cyclone Monica became the strongest storm of the 2006 Australian cyclone season with wind gusts reaching 350 kilometers per hour (215 miles per hour) according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's Cyclone Warning Centre. The Category 5 cyclone came ashore on the sparsely populated coastline of the Northern Territory, missing the city of Darwin, which had been bracing for a record storm. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on April 26, 2006, at 10:55 a.m. Australian Central Standard Time (01:25 UTC). Monica by this point had fallen apart quite rapidly, and it was already below cyclone strength. Only vague remnants of its tight spiral formation could be made out in this image. However, it continued to bring very heavy rains as it traveled across the Northern Territory, with record rainfalls throughout the region. It is unusual for such a strong storm to show up so late in the season: the Northern Territory's "wet" season (the local name for the five months from December through April when heavy rains and cyclones are common) has only a few more days left. NASA image by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. [ http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] |
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Tropical Cyclone Vaianu
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Vaianu |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Vaianu was moving south of the Tonga Islands on February 15, 2006, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image at 1:35 UTC (1:35 p.m. local time). At this time, Vaianu was heading south past the chain of islands, having knocked out electricity in many areas in the preceeding two days, as well as flattening trees and crops. Flooding in low-lying areas shut down the Tonga capital, Nuku'alofa, for two days. When Aqua observed the cyclone, it had peak sustained winds of around 80 kilometers per hour (50 miles per hour), and it was gradually losing strength. Although it was weakening, it maintained a distinct, spiral cloud structure. The only island visible is this image is Tongatapu, in the northwestern (upper left) corner, just at the end of a spiral-cloud arm. Most of the island is under thin cloud cover, but the pale blue of shallow water and coral reefs stand out from the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean around them. Tongatapu is the largest island in the Tonga Island chain, and the Tonga capital, Nuku'alofa is on this island. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Tropical Cyclone Vaianu
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Vaianu |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Vaianu was threading its way through the Tonga Islands on February 13, 2006, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image at 1:45 UTC (1:45 p.m. local time). At this time, Vaianu was heading south through the chain of islands, knocking out electricity in many areas, as well as flattening crops such as bananas, mangos, and breadfruit trees. Flooding in low-lying areas shut down the capital, Nuku'alofa, for two days as stores barricaded their doors and windows to protect them from battering winds. The cyclone had peak sustained winds of around 140 kilometers per hour (85 miles per hour), but the storm center where these peak winds were observed was well away from the Tonga and Fiji Islands. The large green island just visible under clouds in the northwestern corner (top left) of this image is Viti Levu, one of two large islands in the Fiji Islands. Vanua Levu is barely visible to the north and east of Viti Levu. The Tonga Islands all lie to the east of Fiji and are covered under the spiralling cloud formation of Cyclone Vaianu. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Tropical Cyclone Wati
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Wati |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Wati formed northeast of New Caledonia on March 19, 2006. The cyclone gained power gradually and had been heading towards the coast of Australia along a track similar to the very destructive Cyclone Larry, which came ashore in Queensland at the same time Wati was building power. However, forecasts as of March 22 projected that while Wati would continue to gain strength, it would turn sharply south and east, staying well away from the Australian mainland and New Calendonia. When the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite observed the storm at 3:05 p.m. Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time (04:05 UTC) on March 21, 2006, Tropical Cyclone Wati was continuing to slowly build power and size. When MODIS made this observation, the storm had peak winds of around 150 kilometers per hour (90 miles per hour), and forecasts at the time called for it to continue to gather power for at least another day. It was predicted to slowly weaken as it headed south and traveled over cooler water. In this image, the scattered and unorganized remnants of Tropical Cyclone Larry can still be seen over Queensland, well east of Cyclone Wati. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Tropical Cyclone Wati
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Wati |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Wati formed northeast of New Caledonia on March 19, 2006. The cyclone gained power gradually and had been heading towards the coast of Australia along a track similar to the very destructive Cyclone Larry, which came ashore in Queensland at the same time Wati was building power. However, forecasts as of March 21 projected that while Wati would continue to gain strength, it would turn sharply south and east, staying well away from the Australian mainland and New Calendonia. When the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite observed the storm at 2:55 p.m. Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time (03:55 UTC) on March 21, 2006, Tropical Cyclone Wati was continuing to slowly build power and size. When MODIS made this observation, the storm had peak winds of around 120 kilometers per hour (75 miles per hour), and forecasts at the time called for it to continue to gather power for at least another day. It was predcited to slowly weaken as it headed south and traveled over cooler water. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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